Everyone loves a Saturday afternoon drive out in the car finished with a pint and a pub lunch in a cute pub, right? Be sure to head to the Travellers Rest in Slaley for hearty food and a homely atmosphere.
We rocked up to the Travellers Rest on a very wet and grey Saturday for lunch and were pleasantly surprised! The stone flagged bar was welcoming in the only way an old country pub can be. Settling down with the lunch time menu, we checked out what the tables around us had before making a decision!
The Husband opted for the award winning Travellers Rest Classic Steak + Ale Pie (£11.25) which comes with mash and green veg. You can upgrade to home made chips for £1 and that is a definite must! The chips are lush – perfectly brown. After much debating by the Mr about what makes a good pub pie (a pastry bottom!) he was pleased to see an individual pie encased in crisp pastry.
Just boozy enough to get the nod to the ale, the pie was stuffed full of juicy pieces of tender steak. The meaty gravy and home made chips just hit the spot and made this a top notch pub pie! It was a top button undone satisfying meal for sure.
I generally don’t agree with paying extra for upgrading to normal chips over mash but these home made crispy brown chips were so worth it. Dipped in the gravy they were lush. Just what you need for weekend comfort food!
I ordered a simple Cheese + Pickle Sandwich (£5.75) and while it was tasty, served with a dressed salad and a sly portion of chips too, it certainly didn’t match that pie! Even the manager asked if I wish I had picked the pie once I’d seen it!
I know I have ranted about this before but if somewhere can take the effort of adding a mixed, dressed side salad on to a plain sandwich, why can’t some higher end places make the same effort? I know its an addition on the side but there’s no excuse for a crap limp bit of plain lettuce!
Travellers Rest is situated less than 10 minutes off the A68, the Travellers Rest is easily accessible and easy to find. There’s a large car park and the pub is child and dog friendly, of course we were more excited to see dogs than kids but that;s just us!